Congratulations to Dr. Rory Applegate for passing her boards in Internal Medicine! She has joined the ranks of our other board-certified veterinarians at Southern Oregon Veterinary Specialty Center.

But what does “board-certified” mean?

A board-certified veterinary specialist is a veterinarian who, after veterinary school, completes an internship and a minimum of two to three additional years of intense training in their area of specialty through completion of an approved residency training program. During the residency the veterinarian is supervised by approved mentors who are board-certified Diplomates of the specialty and who have completed the program themselves. Residency candidates must meet large case load requirements, demonstrate proficiency in performing specific procedures and publish a research paper in a recognized scientific journal. Once successfully completing their residency program, the candidate must pass a rigorous examination given by the specialty college. After passing the examination, the veterinarian is considered a boarded Diplomate of that specialty and, only then, may be called a veterinary “specialist.”

Dr. Applegate is now a board-certified veterinary specialist in Internal Medicine. She uses a multi-faceted approach to internal medicine, and genuinely connects with her clients and patients. She graduated from the Auburn University College of Veterinary Medicine in 2011 and went on to a small animal rotating internship at the University of Wisconsin School of Veterinary Medicine. She then completed an internal medicine residency at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine. Dr. Applegate has also worked on different research projects, been published in several publications and given many professional presentations.

As a specialty hospital, SOVSC has board-certified veterinary specialists in the areas of Surgery, Emergency and Critical Care, Internal Medicine and Dermatology.